The final piece in the jigsaw for a cycle and pedestrian route in Rye has been given the go-ahead. East Sussex County Council will complete the route in Harbour Road that began following the tragic death in 2004 of 22-year-old cyclist Graham Mathews. The first three sections, linking Rye Harbour Village to Rye Paddock, were completed between 2006 and 2008, but land and funding issues delayed the final stage. The council has now devised a scheme that avoids the need for additional land, and has identified £300,000 funding for the project.
The scheme was approved on January 26 by Cllr Carl Maynard, county council lead member for transport and environment. The authority plans to name the route “Graham’s Way” in tribute to Mathews, and hopes to complete it before the end of the summer. Cllr Keith Glazier, council leader and member for Rye and Eastern Rother, said: “We have always been clear that the completion of this route was vital to making this stretch of road safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Graham’s family have very eloquently expressed the importance they attach to the scheme, and the positive response we received to the consultation confirmed there was strong public support to press on with phase four.
“We understand the frustration caused by the delay in finishing the project and I’d like to thank the family and other residents for their patience. I look forward to attending the opening of the final section of the route, which as well as improving safety will provide a fitting, and lasting, tribute to Graham.”
The council will press on with a detailed design and construction of the final stage, which will link Rye Paddock to a point near the junction with the A259. The proposed final section will be from Rye Paddock to the western side of the footbridge across the River Brede. The existing shared cycle and pedestrian route will be extended 300m westwards from Rye Paddock to near the footbridge across the river. It will be funded by the county council’s capital programme for local transport improvements and a local development contribution from the development of 24 houses and garages off Winchelsea Road.
Sorce: East Sussex County Council